Low Fat Butternut Squash Soup With Chestnut Croutons Recipe

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled

-- halved and seeded

--cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large cortland or rome beauty apple, peeled

-- cored and diced

4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 springs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 pound chestnuts

1/3 cup orange juice

Method

1.In a soaked 3-quart clay pot or a Dutch oven, combine squash, onion, apple and 1 cup of the broth.

Cover pot and place it in a cold oven.

Set oven to 450°F; cook until the mixture is soft, about 30 minutes Add the remaining 3 cups broth, the thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper.

Cover and cook 30 minutes longer.

2.Meanwhile, with a small knife, cut an X in the rounded side of each chestnut, being sure to pierce the papery inner covering.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the chestnuts until soft, about 20 minutes.

Cool chestnuts just enough to be able to handle them.

Peel and break each one into 3 or 4 pieces.

3.Remove thyme and bay leaf from soup.

In a blender, puree soup.

Stir in orange juice; adjust seasonings if necessary.

Garnish with chestnuts.

Makes 6 servings.

Preparation time: About 30 minutes.

Cooking time: About 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Per serving: About 164 cal, 8 g pro, 28 g car, 3 g fat, 15% cal from fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 1044 mg sod, 4 g fiber.

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